5 posts tagged “pageant”

To get people in the mood for Miss Universe tonight (in the US on NBC, 9 p.m. EDT and delayed PDT), my article on Laural Barrett, Miss New Zealand 2007, is now online at the Lucire website. Photography is by London-based photographer Camille Sanson, with styling by Michiko Hughes. (We may run different ones in the print magazine.) I had wanted Laural to have a glance beforehand, but you can imagine that she’s full-on preparing for the pageant tonight. Good luck to “our Laural”: New Zealand is behind you!

As I told Laural Barrett, our Miss Universe New Zealand, tonight, I’m the stroppy bastard that she can put media on to in the absence of Val Lott, pageant director, who is on vacation in Blenheim. Does that make me Acting Director? Ooh …!
   Well, even as a judge, I have a few things to say about the way Laural was treated. As we chatted, I realized that she did handle herself very well against the media, from what she relayed to me. She was pretty stoked about the 154,000 references she has in Google, especially when I told her that my 220,000 has come from 20 years of hard slog.
   And it seems that the only media who are interested in pulling her down are the foreign-owned ones, such as John Fairfax’s The Press. Canwest’s TV3 was more muted in their reporting, but whatever the case, all of it stems from a story in which Laural was misquoted and many relevant facts omitted.
   So what is the difference between a broadsheet and a tabloid in New Zealand?
   The paper size.
   Val was a bit concerned at what Miss Universe LP, LLLP would think of it all, so I fired off the below to a few international media outlets after discussing it with her. The story will probably disappear after this. Especially if there are nude photos of Miss Slovak Republic, Lucia Senášiová, around the place.

Foreign media in New Zealand attack beauty queen

No story here, says Miss Universe New Zealand pageant

Wellington, April 5 (JY&A Media) Today’s domestic media coverage over a 2005 incident involving Laural Barrett, the newly crowned Miss Universe New Zealand 2007, is a ‘non-event’, according to judge and Lucire publisher Jack Yan, speaking on behalf of the pageant.
   He says that it was no surprise to find a story today trying to discredit Miss Barrett in The Press, a Christchurch-based newspaper owned by Australian media group Fairfax.
   Mr Yan believes that Miss Barrett was targeted by parties who feel that beauty pageants are politically incorrect.
   ‘I’ve spoken to Laural Barrett today, and she has handled this like a seasoned media professional. The anti-pageant crowd has failed again.’
   Mr Yan says the negative press has proved that Laural Barrett is not only the right Miss New Zealand, she is potentially the right Miss Universe.
   He explains that New Zealand and Australia have a cultural quirk called the ‘tall poppy syndrome’. The story needs to be considered in its light to avoid being libellous, according to both Mr Yan and pageant director Val Lott, currently on leave.
   Mr Yan says that any New Zealander familiar with the syndrome will recognize the story for what it is, but is worried that those outside the country will read in impropriety where there is none.
   ‘[The syndrome] is where someone who stands out is criticized and compelled to merge into mediocrity,’ he explains. ‘It exists less and less, but tends to get propagated, almost exclusively, by foreign-owned media in New Zealand.
   Mr Yan equates the syndrome to jantelagen in Scandinavian countries, especially Denmark and Sweden.
   The Press had revealed an incident in 2005 where it was alleged that Miss Barrett had mistakenly given away a pair of shoes while working at a retailer, but had worded it to sensationalize the matter.
   ‘If you were 18 and under duress, then it is not hard for a corporation to make you look bad.
   ‘No charges were laid because she was innocent, and whether The Press likes it or not, in New Zealand, it’s not about guilty till proved innocent.
   ‘Any normal New Zealander will appreciate that fact.’
   Mr Yan says that international media and the blogosphere need to take care in reporting the story.
   ‘The Miss Universe Organization should think of this as a Rosie O’Donnell moment,’ he says, referring to a recent incident where TV talk show host Rosie O’Donnell attacked Miss Universe pageant owner Donald Trump.
   ‘At the end of the day, this was a minor story by a foreign-owned newspaper,’ says Mr Yan. ‘The Press would probably be far happier doing a story fêting Jennifer Hawkins,’ he says, referring to a former Miss Australia and Miss Universe 2004.
   ‘Circulation of newspapers is generally falling, and just as Fairfax chose to republish the Mohammed cartoons last year, it has chosen to publish a non-story this year.’
   He says the incident must be embarrassing for The Press, as he and Ms Lott have heard from New Zealand businesses that have immediately taken Miss Barrett’s side.
   ‘I think the Fairfax Press has alienated potential advertisers today and that seems to have been the first consequence.
   ‘The second consequence is that they have proven that Laural Barrett is a discerning young woman, and have provided her with even more grounding to be the next Miss Universe.
   ‘I won’t go so far as to thank them, but it’s certainly helped Laural,’ says Mr Yan.

Laural Barrett (Miss The Edge Christchurch) is Miss Universe New Zealand 2007. It was not easy. As we tallied our scores in the judging room, we noticed that in many cases, positions were determined by half a point.
   Naturally, I can’t discuss whom wound up second to some of the prizes, but one of the non-placing prizewinners got her special award by that narrowest of margins.
   But as we saw Laural up on stage as Miss Universe New Zealand (and seeing that sudden surprise on her face, just as on TV), we knew that we had made a good decision. I believe she will represent the nation well, and have the confidence and poise at Miss Universe 2007 in Mexico City.
   Calling someone ‘second’ is not an insult here, given the closeness of the competition. Sylvia Laurenson (Miss Boulgaris.com) was runner-up (with the usual conditions of ‘If Miss Universe New Zealand cannot serve, then you are it’) but as I told her earlier, I expect to see a lot more of her in broadcasting and media. She has a drive and confidence. As my friend and co-judge Hilary Timmins said, she did not win her pageant in the 1980s, but wound up with a 20-year career. Sylvia gets my vote for the contestant most likely to get in to a profession in the public eye.
   Jessica Body (Miss Asta Club & Lounge) placed second runner-up. At 5'4", one might think she was at a disadvantage. But then, Miss Universe 2006 is 5'5". Jess (one of three girls with the Christian name) has those eyes that follow you around a room, no matter where she was looking. She was clearly Miss Personality, a unanimous decision from the judges. I say this without being flattering: she has star quality. She shone from beginning to end.
   What was interesting was that every one of us had shortlisted nearly the same ten girls to go in to the finals. Our first to eighth contestants were identical, with a bit of back-room negotiations to determine the ninth and tenth.
   What audiences did not see was the Thursday night judging that went from 6 p.m. to midnight. We met with the young ladies casually, then at an interview. We also had a preview of the swimsuits on that night, and there were some changes earlier tonight in terms of our top 10. The interview was a massive part, however: while it is a beauty pageant, we took into account the girls’ intelligence, speech, succinctness, rapidity of response, depth of response, and appropriateness. We also got to see them sitting on an armchair, not dissimilar, as it turned out, to the one on stage that Laural got to sit on.
   Laural did interview very well. Now the real work begins, as I have to organize a shoot with her for a future feature as part of her prize. As some know, Laural’s twin sister, Sharaine, placed runner-up in 2006 with her natural hair colour; now-blonde Laural probably made the right choice with her hair, accentuating her skin and facial features.
   The three prize-winners on stage were a true vision. Then, so were all the girls. Eye-candy with substance: as the only male judge, and in many settings the only man other than the director’s partner, I was in danger of sensory overload.
   And if you saw what stress director Val Lott was under, having to be compère, organizer, surrogate mother, judging coordinator, press relations’ director, etc., you would admire her no end. Allan, by her side, was still working at 1.35 a.m., when I left, after hanging out with Megan Alatini and the Cassie clan. A great night; and I can only imagine how the prizewinners are buzzing.

The voting for Miss Universe New Zealand is going quite well and three girls seem to be leading there. I actually believe these will have an impact on the night, probably as though all of New Zealand was a “sixth judge”. (Note: I do not know this for sure: I am guessing.)

1. Melissa Lowe (535 votes)
2. Amanda Hiroti (494 votes)
3. Laural Barrett (480 votes)

There are various codes you can text to 946 in New Zealand. Go to www.missuniversenz.co.nz to get the actual codes. Cellphone bill payer gets charged, etc.
   I didn’t pick that Miss Lowe would poll so highly, though it is no surprise about Mlles Hiroti and Barrett (who is a twin—her sister was runner-up last year). Still, these are just based on a cursory glance at their appearance. As I said earlier, it’s important that we pick a confident representative of our nation who will compete strongly, won’t crumble alongside the competition, and bring back an international prize. And that takes an analysis of her personality and inner strength, which is what I will be trying to figure out.

I really don’t know much about cellphones, but for those of you in New Zealand who use them, this may be of interest.

Charges are over to you, etc. No official announcement of how your vote impacts my co-judging decisions has been made, but I believe they have some effect.
   I am quite proud of the logo. The folks who did the site had a low-res one, but for the revisions, they needed something higher-res. Yours truly to the rescue.